Snapping device for marbles.



No. 855,949. PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

' W. L. HOFFMAN.

SN-APPING DEVICE-FOR MARBLES.

7 APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1907.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SNAPPING DEVICE FOR IVIARBLES.

Application filed January 29,

T!) 1/. 71:71.07) it 777/607] concern.-

Be it known that I, WVrLLIs L. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and- State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Snapping Device for Marbles, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a device adapted to be grasped in the hand,and which may hold a marble; the device being constructed in such a waythat by a pressure from the hand the marble may be projected as whensnapped from the fingers.

. The object of the invention is to produce a device constructed assuggested, adapted to be used by boys in playing marbles, and enablingthe marbles to be snapped or thrown with greater force and accuracy thanis possible when they are snapped in the ordinary way.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective showing how the device is held in the hand andoperated; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, representing amarble held in the mouth thereof and indicating the manner in which themar ble is projected from the device.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents a resilientmember or spring, which is bent near its middle to form a bow 2, fromwhich extends a pair of substantially parallel and oppositely disposedresilient blades 3 and l. Near the bow 2 the blades 3 and 4 are rigidlyconnected together by a block 5 through which a fastening device, suchas the rivet 6, may pass as shown. The forward ends of the blades 3 and4 are disposed substantially in alinement with each other, as shown, andat these points the blades are slightly bent so as to form curved lips 7and 8; the concave side of the curve being disposed inwardly. In thisway oppositely'disposed lips are formed, which are adapted to hold amarble therebetween in the manner indicated in the illustrations.Between the lips 7 and 8 and the block 5 the material of the blades 3and 4 is substantially flat, so that no substantial resistance 1Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

1907. Serial No 354,631.

is offered to a flexing of the blades which must occur between thesepoints. The lower lip 8 is slightly more curved than the upper lip, sothat this lip more effectually constitutes a seat for the marble 9, asindicated. Near its rear portion, the side edges of the lip 8 areconnected by a transverse bar or stop 10 which limits the rearwardmovement of the marble and enables the marble to be held in the seatformed by the lip 8.

The manner of using the device is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1; it isgrasped in the hand, as shown, and the blades 3 and 4 are pressed towardeach other at a point between the marble and the block 5. In this waythe blades become flexed into substantially the position in which theyare indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. There is thus exerted apressure upon the inner side of the marble which will project itforcibly from the device. On account of the fact that the lips 7 and 8have considerable length, the device afitords means for controlling thedirection which the mar,

ble takes, as well as the force with which it is projected. A deviceconstructed as described constitutes a useful and interesting additionto a boys kit of marbles and toys.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A device of the class described havinga pair of oppositely disposedblades tending to separate, said blades presenting unbroken faces ontheir outer sides adapted to be pressed by the fingers to force saidblades together, and a member disposed entirely between said blades andholding them in posi tion.

2. A device of the class described havinga pair of oppositely disposedblades adapted to hold a marble therebetween, and a block between saidblades and attached thereto, one of said blades being flexible wherebythe marble may be snapped from said device by pressing the bladestogether with the fingers.

3. A device of the class described consist ing of a bent spring having abow and blades extending from said bow, a block connecting said bladesnear said bow, the ends of said blades being disposed substantiallyopposite to each other and formed into lips adapted to hold a marbletherebetween.

4. A device of the class described having a blade with a curved lipformed at the forward end thereof forming a seat for a marble, atransverse bar disposed near said seat and forming a stop to limit therearward movename to this specification in thepresence of ment of said(rinarblehand a Second blade en tWo subscribing Witnesses.

a in the si e of t e mar e'o osite sai e irs t b lade, one of saidblades b i rlg flexible WVILLIS HOFFMAN 5 whereby the marble may beprojected from'l Witnesses:

said device by pressure thereupon. F. D. AMMEN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my l JNo. M. RiTTER.

